By Angel Perkins Staff Writer
ARGOS — Argos is looking toward the future in not only emergency service radios but also regarding electric utility providers.
Following the lead of the Indiana State Police would be helpful if they are going to communicate with one another, so Argos Police Chief Rodney Rudd requested the town council approve his seeking to replace its radios.
The switch of radio receivers from VHF to an 800-mgz. wavelength is said to give a clearer, stronger frequency.

Because the Federal Communications Commission has a deadline to call the VHF radios obsolete as of 2013, all of Indiana’s emergency forces are looking toward the switch.
“I got price quotes on all the equipment and installs and it’s going to be a bit more than $20,000,” Rudd explained. “We will not be using taxpayer money.”
Instead, the funds will be taken from the percentage issued the department from the Indiana Cities and Towns court cost fees, which are distributed county-wide, to a fund that participating towns can draw from twice a year. The amount allowed to draw is based on a town’s population.
Rudd said his department would keep the present VHF radios in order to communicate with the Argos Fire and EMS departments as they will not be updating their equipment as soon, and that he plans to get four or five new models including one as a backup.
The council unanimously approved.
Also looking toward the future and saving money is Utilities Superintendent John Archambeault, who has been working with town Attorney Ron Gifford in setting up an online, reverse auction to find utility providers that might provide a better deal than the company the town currently uses.
“From newspaper clippings, the price of electric had looked to increase about 20 percent but now it looks like it will be more like 29 percent,” he reported to the council. “Our NIPSCO contract is up at the end of the year.”
Archambeault said he had inquired if the town could extended its contract with NIPSCO for only one year and was told by company representatives that they would look into that. Meanwhile, he has been registering through World Energy to find a fair-priced and shorter-term (three, five or seven years) contract.
“Potentially we could have 64 possible bidders but maybe only six or eight will be interested,” he explained. “We are a small load to even get someone interested (in providing electricity to). If we don’t find someone we like we don’t have to commit. We’re trying every avenue we can to save money.”
Audience member Frank Rickman reminded those present that formerly Argos was involved in a coalition with six other towns and that as a group, they may have had more bargaining power. Archambeault said that to his knowledge, the coalition was working with IMPA (Indiana Municipal Power Association) and that as well as a 30-year contract, some of the customers were not happy with the arrangement and the organization had fluctuating power factors every month.     
“Others may be happy with it, but I don’t like the idea of a guessing game,” he said. “Some people live from paycheck to paycheck and can’t guess what the bill is going be from one month to the next.”
The town expects to begin receiving bids for town electricity service on July 17.